~Ashfeld~
Marcus was reading the reports given to him and was calmly sipping wine from his goblet.
"MARCUS!"
The sound of his name and the door to his study being kicked open made him choke on his wine.
Standing on the doorway, with only bed sheets covering her modesty and a Pugio in her hand, was Lucia Valeria Felix Aureliana. His little sister.
Her face was set in a sneer and her right brow was twitching. Her hair was a tangled mess.
He gulped when Lucia stomped towards him and slammed the Pugio in his desk, burying it halfway.
Damn him and Titus, for actually letting her be a Centurion. Damn Faustus as well, for actually teaching her.
He let his dark blue eyes meet his sister's glaring ones.
He chuckled nervously and said "L-Lucia, dear sister. W-what brings you here, if I may ask?"
He swore he heard her growl right there.
Through gritted teeth, she said "What brings me here, dear brother, is the fact that I had another man in my bed only for him to say he was paid to lay with me!"
Marcus had a hand on his Gladius.
As much as he loves his sister, he wasn't gonna risk getting his manhood cut off.
"Now, now. Let's not be hasty. Remember when I said you needed to relax and have a man in your life."
He didn't get any further when a Gladius was buried next to the Pugio.
"That's the tenth man this month! Can you not interfere with my affairs!"
"As the family's eldest, it is my duty to interfere with the matters of my siblings."
He raised his blade just in time to block Lucia's Gladius.
Their blades locked before Marcus stood from his chair and kicked her off.
"Etiam!" Marcus taunted.
Lucia growled and retrieved the Pugio on the desk. She lunged at Marcus over the desk.
Marcus parried her strike but was nearly caught off guard by her next move.
"Incontinens!" She yelled as she tried to stab him at the heart
Luckily, he dodged at the last second.
"Incredibilis!" He cried out as he gave her an uppercut that sent her over the desk and on her back.
She cursed and was about to get up but was stopped by a foot on her abdomen.
She glared at her brother as he knelt down, foot still on her abdomen, and held the blade at her throat.
"I win." Marcus declared.
Lucia gave him a glare one last time before begrudgingly releasing her hold on the Gladius and Pugio.
"Fine." She relented.
When Marcus let her go and stood up, he didn't see the growing smirk on his sister's face.
Next thing he knew, he felt an overwhelming pain between his legs and screamed on the top of his lungs.
"AAAAAGGGGHHH! OH GODS, IT HURTS! AGHAHAHAAA!"
Lucia stood up and had her hands on her hips.
"I win. Now, don't pay another man to lay with me or there will be CUTTING next time." She threatened.
"...okay."
She smirked in satisfaction but it soon turned into a frown as she sat on Marcus' desk.
Marcus shakily stood up and saw the expression on his sister's face.
He sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
"I miss Titus." She said as she hugged herself "It was the three of us. Always the three of us. Father was dead and Mother died bringing me into this world. The Children of Fortuna. Us against the world." She ended with a sigh.
"I know." He said as he comforted Lucia "I know. No matter who we meet, no matter who stands against us, no matter who barges in our lives. It will always be the three of us. I will not stop until I find him. Even to my last breath. Never abandon hope Lucia and hope will never abandon you."
She closed her eyes as she let the tears flow out.
Marcus held her closer before looking up at the door. He motioned for the guard to leave and the man complied.
Looking down at Lucia again, he saw she fell asleep.
'Titus, if I ever find you. I will punch you in the face so hard for making our sister cry herself to sleep.' He thought before gently lifting Lucia and placing her on his bed.
He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair off her face. He stared at her one last time before planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Let Somnus lull you now, sister."
He rose from the bed and walked out to pick up their blades. He set them down on his desk and sat back on his chair. He rubbed his temple and sighed, not physically but mentally exhausted.
'Titus, where are you?'